Events

El Dorado County sales tax revenues grew in the second quarter of last year, largely thanks to strong new car sales and a state law requiring more online stores to charge sales tax.

The county last week released a report on sales tax revenues from April – June of 2013, saying the $2.7 million generated in unincorporated El Dorado County was 4 percent more than it was during the same period in 2012.

More than half of the jump was thanks to strong car sales and new sales tax money coming to El Dorado County from AB 155, a law that required websites like Amazon to collect sales tax as of September 2012, according to the county and HDL Companies.

The report released Feb. 5 by the county and HDL Companies doesn’t say exactly how much car sales improved or how much sales tax revenue dealerships brought to the county, but new car dealerships and discount department stores in unincorporated El Dorado County together brought in $971,000 of the $2.7 million in tax revenue that quarter.

Contractors posted the strongest gains of any category, jumping 41 percent from the previous year and “reflecting the beginning of a recovery in new housing construction and considerable remodeling activity,” the county said.

The only types of businesses where sales tax revenue fell were gas stations and the liquor departments of grocery stores, decreasing 12 and 4 percent respectively.

The county’s report lists the top 25 producers of sales tax revenue in the county. In alphabetical order, they are: